Small Ruminants

1. Small Ruminants Sheep & Goats Sheep and goats are closely related, but are different. Slight differences exist in the horns and the skeleton. They are both ruminants but eat different plants. Here are some distinctions: Goats have a beard Sheep have foot glands Male goats have a very strong smell Goats are more intelligent, independent, have a better ability to fight and protect themselves than sheep

2. Sheep Terminology Ram = Male Ewe = Female Lamb = Baby Sheep Wether = Castrated Male Lambing = Birthing sheep Mutton = Meat from sheep older than 1 year Lamb = Meat from sheep younger than 1 year

3. Sheep Industry • Australia & New Zealand are the leading producers of sheep • New Zealanders consume 60 pounds of sheep products a year • World per capita consumption is about 3 pounds per year • Sheep are a dual purpose animal and can be raised for wool or meat • Meat is more profitable • Lamb is a delicate meatwhile mutton has much stronger flavor • Wool is less profitable and more unsteady market than meat. • Sheep yield 5 to 15 pounds of wool each shearing • Shearing is the act of removing the wool from a sheep using clippers

4. Sheep Classification Sheep can be classified by the types of wool the produce Fine or apparel wool Medium wool Coarse or “rug” wool

5. Decline of Sheep in North America • The price of wool is low and unstable • Competition from synthetic fibers has hurt the industry • Consumption of lamb is low and keeps declining • Sheep are susceptible to disease and parasites • with little natural resistance • Sheep are highly susceptible • to attack from predators Flock Guardians

6. Goat Terminology Buck = Male Billy = Male Doe = Female Nanny = Female Wether = Castrated Male Kids = Immature goats Kidding = Birthing goats

7. Goat Classification & Facts Goats are classified as either . . . Fiber Dairy Meat

8. More Goat Info There are more than a million Angora goats in the United States. The average Angora goat produces up to 7 pounds of fine quality mohair a year when sheared twice. Dairy goats produce 1.8% of the world’s milk supply. An average doe may produce five pounds of milk per day during a ten-month lactation period. Goats milk has a sweeter taste than cow’s milk, has more vitamin A, more minerals and smaller fat particles making it much easier to digest.

9. Meat goats are becoming more important as an alternative source of meat. They can be pastured with cattle and eat browse( woody plants), so they do not compete for the same feed with cattle. While still somewhat unheard of in this country, consuming goat meat is a very popular culinary choice in many cultures throughout the world. Important note: Because of the goats ability to adapt to various environments/climates and their ability to eat almost anything, they can be extremely destructive. Goats as an introduced species are a threat to many unique and fragile environments throughout the world.

11. Aragon Oil